Electroplating machine



Sept. 23, 1924. l1,509,534

G. TODD ELECTROPLAT I NG MACHINE ill G. TDDD ELECTROPL'ATING MACHINE Sem.. 23 w24.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 26 i923 UTA/55555 sept.V 23, 1924. 1,509,534J

G. TODD ELECTROPLATING MACHINE Filed Jun@ 26. 1923 5 Sheets-Sheetr Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

`1 GUERIN TODI), OF MILLBUBN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIG-NOB TO THE HANSON & VAN "WINKLE COMPANY, F MILLBURN, NEW JERSEY, A. CORPORATIUN 0F NEW JERSEY.

ELECTROPLATING; MACHINE.

application ala June 2e, 192e. serial no. 647,857.y

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it blown that I, GUERIN Tono, a citizen ot the United States, and a resident of Millburn, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electroplating Machines, of which the tollowing is a specification.

` My invention relates to electroplating machines in which articles to be electroplated are packed in a barrel or a container, which is then immersed and rotated in an electrolytic bath contained in a suitable vat. ln such machines the articles themselves form the cathode .and/suitable cathode terminals in the barrel or container maintain contact with the articles and serve to carry off the current. The anode is kept out of contact with the articles to be plated by means of a perforated' septumot non-conducting material. lThe barrel is rotated by means ot a shattprotruding thru the side of the electroplating vat, connection between the drivingshaft and the shaft of the rotatable i barrel being made by a loose coupler that permits the ready removal of the barrel and its contents from the'- vat. Such a coupler comprises in general a transverse pin on one shaft engaging with longitudinal studs which extend from the other shaft to embrace it. The barrel is carried in journals on the lower end-of de ending brackets which at their upper en s rest on suitable supports 'fastened to the edges of the vat; the brackets and their sup-ports forming parts of the electric circuit to the anode and the cathode. lfn such machines there has been diiculty found in thatthe cathode terminals which have heretofore been placed at the periphery of the barrel in close contact with the perforated outer wall have brought about the clogging of the perforations of said wall due to the accretions of the metal deposited on the cathode terminal. It has also been found that when the alignment between the driving shaft and the shaft of the rotatable container were not perfect which is very often the case; the loose coupling between the two shafts, has, owing to such misalignment, given rise to a tendency to lift the barrel at certain periods of the rbtation with the result that the circuit becomes interrupted at the point where the barrel supports rest on the contacts.

Such misalignment also causes an excessive strain to be placed on the driving shaft and tuling box, which would make the latter ea l The object of my present improvement is to obviate these objectionable defects .by certain constructions of the cathode terminals and loose couplers as will be hereinatter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which;

Figure l is a longitudinal section of an electroplating machine thru the axis of the barrel; l

Figure 2 is a transverse section in elevation voit the machine;

Figure 3 is a side view; and

Figure 4 is an end view of a loose coupler such as has been heretofore used;

.Figure 5 is a side elevation; and

Figure 6 is an' end view in partial section of the loose coupler provided with my improvement.

The vat 1 has supports 2, securely tastened to it at either end. These supports are provided with cup contacts 3 which form sockets that support the contact points 4 that'are adjustably secured in the brackets 5 and 6. These brackets at their lower end carry journals 7 and 8 inl which turn the shafts v9 that carry the barrel container. A handle 10 connects, the two brackets 5 and 6 and forms a means whereby the barrel withgits contents maybe removed from the bar. The brackets 5 and 6 form the means whereby the current is led to and from the barrel, bracket 5 being in electric communication with the anode lland the bracket 6 covered with insulation as shown at l2 is in electric communication thru insulated partial extend from said Harige thru the end wall of the barrel or container into the spacewhich is to-be occupied by the articles to be plated. This space is formed by an interior perorated cylinder l5 and the exterior perforated cylinder 16 of insulating material such as Celluloid2 hard rubber, wood or the like. The space 1s made accessible by means of a lid 17 which forms one side of the barrel and is held securely to the barrel by means of clamping nuts 18. It will be understood that the articles to be plated are packed loosely in the annular space between the two perforated cylinders and as the barrel slowly revolves makes contact with each other and with the cathode terminal rods The`cathode terminal rodsi14 projecting as they do into the middle of the space between the perforated cylinders will have no tendency to build along and into the interstices of the cylinder 16 which has been the caseheretofore when the cathode rods or terminals were contiguous to the outside barrel. x

vTo overcome the objections of undue strains on the stuling box and of the lifting of the barrel bya misalignment at the loose cou ler with the resultant objection of the brea ing of the circuit at the contacts 3, I provide a hinged clevice 19, pivoted to one or the other of the shafts, either the driving or the driven member which en gages thru its pin 20 with the transverse pin-21 in the other shaft. In the example shown, the transverse pin is in the driving 'shaft 22.

In Figures 3 and 4 it may be seen how the transverse pin 21 when eacli shaftais pinge u on-one of the longitudinal pins 20 as clear y shown in Fi 're 4. When, however, the loose cou lerl as the clevice member 19 pivoted to t e shaft. as shown in Fig- I ures -5 and 6, it will be seen that the transverse pin 21 will bear upon both the longitudinal ins 20- and thus transmit only a torsionalpforce so that the contacts 3 and -4, will remain undisturbed.

While I have shown a of loose coupler it is obvious that other equivalents may be usedas long as the function of transmitting therotary motion thru a detachable coupling is accomplished without any upthrust. e

I claim 1. An electroplating machine,'comprsin in combination, a vat, a rotatable cylindrica container suspended in the vat, said container havin heads and an interior andan exterior per orated drum, an `anode bar within the inner drum and cathode termiparticular form nals supported entirely from the head and extending into the annular s ace between the drums freeof contact witi the perforated drums, and also extending throu h the head and a conducting plate outsi e the head to which Said cathode terminals are secured.

2. An electroplating machine, comprising in combination, a vat, a rotatable container current carrying suspension means for said container, rotary'driving means and a loose cou ling between said driving means and sai rotatable container to accommodate misalignment between the driving and driven members without lifting the suspension means out of contact.

y'3. An electroplating machine, comprising in combination, a vat, a rotatable container current carrying suspension means for said container, rotary driving means and a loose coupler between the container and its driving means, one member of the loose coupler being pivotedy on its shaft so as'to accommodate itself to any mi-salignment of the rotating members and transmit .torsional force only. f

4. An electroplating machine, comprising in combination, a vat, a rotatable container .current carrying suspension means for said container, rotary driving means and a detachable loose coupler between the container and its drivin means, one member of the loose'coupler eing pivoted on its shaft so as to accommodate itself to any misalign-F ment of the rotating members and transmit torsional force only.

5. An electroplating machine comprising in combination a vat, a rotatable container Asuspended in t e vat, supportin means on the vat for said container, sai container having a perforated c lindrical drum of insulating material an Vsupporting heads of insulating material, a -supporting metallic collar on the outside of one 'of the heads, said collar pivoted in the sup orting means and cathode terminals exten ing from the collar through the head at a point removed /from the perforated drum.

GUERIN Toni). 

